The Only Outcome
by flibeauti232
Summary: A missing scene between Peter and Stephen in Endgame during the funeral. (Spoilers for endgame)


_What's up fam! Ya, girl's back and she's writing her first Marvel fic. So Endgame left me in an emotional wreck, and there was just something that I felt was missing in regards to Tony's fate/death and his funeral. Then it hit me, have Peter (who was close to Tony) confront Strange (who saw Tony's demise in the 14 million outcomes) about Tony's ultimate fate. That would lead to some great angst and even bonding. _

_Anyway, enjoy!_

* * *

"_Mr. Stark? Hey... Mr. Stark? Can you hear me? It's Peter. We won. Mr. Stark... We won, Mr. Stark. We won and you did it, sir. You did it. I'm sorry... __**Tony**__.._"

Peter forced himself to push back the memories of his final words to Tony. But no matter how hard he tried, those vivid images of Tony's charred face and glassy, lifeless eyes still haunted him. And he was sure that they would never go away. All he could do was just hold in the tears and the heartbreak for the time being, which was near impossible considering that he was at the man's funeral and others around him were sharing his grief.

He always hated funerals. _Who didn't, really?_ But for Peter he had attended far too many in his very young life. And every single one involved someone he loved. His family_. _

_Family. _

'_Is that what Tony was to him?' _ Peter shook his head. He always idolized Tony as the genius, billionaire inventor and as the hero Iron Man. Even after he got his powers, he never once imagined that he'd get a chance to meet the man, let alone be recruited by him. And he'd never forget that fateful day when the man showed up at the Parker residence, casually chatting with his May waiting for Peter to arrive home from school, to give him the opportunity of a lifetime.

Over time he had become his mentor, role model and teammate. But he didn't think that his admiration for the man extended beyond that. Until he thought back to all those late night study sessions via video call whenever Peter was starting to fall behind due to his part time work as Spider-man. Tony helping him with his physics project. That time Peter spent the summer at the New Avengers Facility where he and the older man helped with updates to his suit, took a ride on the quinjet for the first time and even took him on minor missions when Stark was sure that the threat level was minimum. There were also those smaller moments like Tony inviting him to watch a game. Lending him one of his cars that Peter used to take his drivers test. Taking him shopping for a new suit and tie to wear at an event he was hosting that Peter was invited to for his introduction as the new intern. There was even that day when the two took an _official_ photo with Peter's certificate for his "Stark Internship" and Peter throwing up bunny ears behind Tony's head when he thought he wasn't looking, only for the man do the same. That was so much fun.

He had grown so close to Tony, but he still didn't think it was right to consider him family. Tony had his own family who were in mourning. Pepper, who was one of the most awesome ladies he had ever met, and cute little Morgan. They had just lost a husband and a father, and Peter really didn't feel like he had any place intruding on their grief. So he kept his distance and watched alongside everyone else as Pepper placed Tony's original arc reactor decorated with a wreath onto a lake and let it float away.

Peter could only grimace in pain. He couldn't believe his mentor was gone. His idol. His hero. Gave his life to save the entire galaxy from Thanos while also helping to bring back those who had died. He really was an Avenger.

As if sensing his distress, May leaned towards her nephew and placed her hand on his shoulder, silently offering him comfort. And Peter was grateful that he still had May by his side. She really was the only family he had left. While he was happy that she survived Thanos' Snap, it was extremely disheartening to know that she was forced to spend 5 years grieving over Peter's death. Having lost yet another loved one in such a short period of time. When Peter was reunited with her she was so overcome with intense feelings of joy, he didn't think that he'd ever seen her cry so hard. At that moment all he wanted to do was hold her tight and never let her go. Both sharing a tearful embrace.

When the ceremony ended, Peter found himself wandering about by himself. He told May that he wanted to be alone for a little bit. And she stood by, giving him his space. She knew how much Tony meant to him and could only imagine what losing yet another important man in his life felt like. As she made her way over to speak with Happy, while Peter kept to himself. Under normal circumstances he would have been positively elated to meet the rest of the Avengers and other heroes. (he'd been wanting a chance to meet Thor for the longest). But now he just didn't know what to say or who to talk to. The inner fanboy in him just didn't manifest today. Not now, especially considering that his main hero wasn't present with the rest of them.

'_No. No, he can't be gone. Why did it have to be him? Why couldn't there be another way?' _Peter had thought bitterly to himself. He knew that Tony died a hero and that sacrifices have to be made in a fight, but was there really no other way for Tony to come out of this alive and with his friends and family. They had already defied so much and undid almost all of Thanos' actions. Did Tony really have to die in the end?

Peter was so lost in his thoughts he didn't even notice the two figures standing in front of him that he ran right into. Peter quickly looked up and caught the sight of both men gazing down at him questioningly. It was Doctor Strange, along with the other sorcerer whom Peter remembered being called Wong. Upon coming back to his senses and looking at both men before him, Peter widened his eyes and went into an apologetic frenzy.

"I am so so sorry! I-I didn't see you there! It won't happen again!"

"Is everything alright, Peter?" Stephen asked, brows furrowing in mild concern.

"It's fine," Peter answered quickly, but realized that he couldn't bring himself to be dishonest. "Or at least as fine as it can be at a funeral."

"Keep your head high. It will be much easier for you to move forward if you are not distracted by what's past you." Wong offered sternly. Though Peter thought it was just a fancy way of saying '_watch where you're going.'_

He gave both men a solemn nod, and watched as they both turned and walked the opposite direction. Before they were out of his sight, Peter recalled what Strange had said back on Titan. How he peered through time and saw over 14 million outcomes of their fight against Thanos and only one where they'd win. Then he remembered when Strange gave Thanos the Time Stone in exchange for Tony's life. And how there was no other way. Did that mean that this was the outcome where they had won? If that's the case then Strange must have seen all that happened, which meant that he knew that Tony-

Before he could think, Peter found himself chasing after the wizard.

"Excuse me! Doctor Strange, sir!" he called out, intent on flagging the man down.

Stephen turned back towards the source of the voice currently shouting his name and caught sight of the same young man who bumped into him and Wong a short while ago racing towards them.

"You knew, didn't you?" Peter called out, voice trembling slightly!

Stephen merely raised an eyebrow in confusion, although a part of him had an idea of what the boy was talking about.

"I'm not sure I follow you-"

"Back on Titan, you said you used the Time-Stone to peer into the future where you saw over 14 million possible outcomes in our fight against Thanos. And only one where we win!" Peter stated almost accusatorily, as he stood face to face with the wizard. "This was the one outcome you saw, wasn't it? Where Tony Stark dies. You saw it, didn't you?"

At that, Stephen pressed his lips in a thin line before letting out pained sigh. He knew he'd be confronted with this eventually. He just didn't expect it so soon, and from a kid of all people. Of course, Peter was no ordinary kid. He was an Avenger, much like the rest of them. Albeit a fairly recent and quite young recruit. Nonetheless he had every right to know.

"Yes I did," Stephen finally said. "Tony was the key. The crucial element in our victory against Thanos. I saw every detail of how the events would unfold and knew that there was no guarantee of saving the universe without him. That's why I had no choice but to give up the Time Stone to Thanos, to ensure that Tony would remain alive so that he could play his part in saving the rest of us."

Peter bit his lip and swallowed hard, trying desperately to push back the sadness bubbling forth.

"So…...there wasn't anything you could do have done to save him?" His voice was strained and sounded almost broken. "14 million outcomes and the only one where we win is the one in which has to Tony die."

"There were several other outcomes and realities where Tony lives, Peter. Unfortunately half the galaxy, including the two of us, weren't so lucky." Stephen shot back smoothly, folding his arms. "Would you have rather had that instead?"

"Well n-no of...of course!" Peter stammered out, desperately trying to keep his voice even. "It's just that-"

"Just what then?" Stephen interrupted, starting to grow a bit testy.

Peter merely grunted in response. Eyes cast downward, while he bit down on his lower lip. He didn't even realize that his whole body was trembling until he looked down at his tightly clenched fists shaking at his side.

"Use your words." Stephen prompted, his tone taking on a challenging edge upon observing the boys contemptuous body language.

Peter released a sharp breath before finally exclaiming.

"Why is it that despite all those heroes fighting against Thanos, Tony was still the only one who had to sacrifice himself to save us all? And if you saw what happens or several possibilities of what might have happened, then couldn't you have found another way? Or change the course of time to make another way?!"

"That's enough!" Wong cut in gruffly, attempting to diffuse the situation. But Stephen merely held a hand up before the other man could say anything more. Mutely reassuring the man that he'd handle it.

Stephen slowly approached the boy, who had clammed up and took a defensive step backwards. Averting his eyes to avoid the wizard's piercing gaze. He could easily sense the young hero's distress in both his body language and from the way he shouted at the two before him. He also knew that the kid's outburst was done out of pain, as opposed to being accusatory and malicious. It was clear that he just wanted answers and there was no way that he'd be able to move on without them. However, instead of being of being straightforward and blunt in his response like Stephen normally was, knowing full well that it would do nothing to curve the boy's emotional turmoil and help him find peace, Stephen opted for a more gentle approach.

"Peter." Stephen addressed in a firm though not unkind voice, urging the boy to look at him. In which, Peter obliges, albeit reluctantly.

"I'm sorry, I-I shouldn't have snapped at you like that!" Peter stumbled over his apology. But the older man merely gave him piteous look, before placing a hand on his shoulder almost hesitantly.

"Walk with me." the man prompted, much to the young boy's surprise. After giving Wong a quick reassuring nod, he began to stroll through the lakeside with Peter following suit.

For the first couple of moments into their walk, Peter was uncharacteristically quiet the whole time. Part of it was due to him reeling from his embarrassing outburst earlier. Though in all honesty, he just couldn't find any other words to say to the wizard. Stephen took note of the teen's reserved demeanor, and decided it was time to break the silence.

"About what you said earlier," he began. "Peter I'm not all-powerful. Neither was any of the rest of us. We all had just as much of a chance of falling to Thanos and his forces as Tony did. He just happened to be in the right exact place at the right exact time with the right tool necessary to wield all six stones. And he was willing to pay the ultimate price to stop Thanos and save the universe."

When Peter remained silent, Stephen continued on.

"Time isn't just a strict progression of cause-to-effect. There are several other variables to consider and no clear-cut guarantee that changing events in the current timeline will give you your intended outcome. Looking ahead into the future won't show you direct results, it only shows you possibilities and I already put everything I had into ensuring that this possibility where we win would be our future. There's also the fact that I no longer possess the time stone, so there really wasn't much that I could have done to ensure Tony's survival."

"Would you, though?" Peter finally asked, voice barely above a whisper.

"Would I, _what?_" Stephen questioned the boy's words.

"Would you have saved Tony if you had the power to do so?!" Peter clarified, much louder this time. "You said so yourself back on the ship, that you wouldn't hesitate to let me or Tony die when it came to saving either of us or protecting the stone and the fate of the universe. Would you even be willing to save him in the end?"

Stephen pressed his lips in a thin line, recalling his previous words to the two heroes. He admitted that he came off a bit too heartless at the time. Especially with the kid around. But the situation was dire and he needed them to know exactly what they were getting into when Tony proposed that they'd take the fight to Thanos on Titan. And that his duties as a protector of both the time stone and their reality outweighed any moral obligations he had in keeping those two safe.

Before he could explain, Peter continued on.

"I know you didn't know him all that well and that heroes have to make sacrifices for the greater good, but…..but…"

"But _what_?"

Instead of responding, Peter shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut. His whole body began to tremble almost violently and his lips wobbled as he held back tears.

"Peter, I can't help you unless you tell me what's wrong," Stephen said calmly, careful not to provoke the very distressed boy who looked like he was on the verge of exploding.

And then he did.

"DID YOU HAVE THANOS SPARE TONY'S LIFE WHEN YOU GAVE HIM THAT STONE JUST SO YOU CAN LET HIM DIE IN THE FUTURE?!"

Stephen was taken aback by Peter's intense outburst. His eyes were red, brimming with unshed tears and a pained expression plastered all over. Stephen had to quickly tear his eyes away to avoid being overcome by an overwhelming pang of guilt.

"There was no other way." he said softly.

"I-I kn-...know that you that you were doing what had to be done to save us in the end," Peter sniffed, trying and failing to hold back his tears. "I just miss him so _much_!"

At that, Stephen just stared at the boy with his jaw dropped slightly. There was no point hiding his guilt and heartache for the kid any longer. Especially as he stood there staring at the ground, quiet sobs could be heard from his trembling body. Comfort wasn't exactly something that Stephen excelled in, mostly because he never considered himself to be a comforting presence. He had always considered himself to be more pragmatic and a rationalist at heart. Emotional support wasn't his strength and for a long time he didn't see the importance of it, until he himself had been humbled. And even then Stephen still clung to his hardened, rational nature. Despite that, Stephen just couldn't bring himself to ignore and disregard the boy's sorrow. And felt the need to try to offer hims some relief.

He approached Peter and placed a hand on his back, before ducking his head and trying to catch the young hero's eye.

"Did you know I used to be a doctor?" he began to say, which caught the boy's attention.

"You….you were?" Peter asked, looking up at the man. Eyes still red and wet.

Stephen nodded.

"I was a very accomplished neurosurgeon, Dr. Stephen Strange. And for years I had specialized in advanced neurological surgery and formations of new nerve cells."

"Wait, Dr. Stephen Strange. _Doctor Strange._" Peter blurted out, recalling his introduction to Strange back on that ship and confusing what he thought was his made-up name. Only to come to the embarrassing conclusion that it was actually his real name. "Oh my god, I am so sorry! I didn't know!"

Stephen merely chuckled and shook his head.

"It's alright. That's not the first time it's happened to me. If anything I should have clarified it more in my introduction, _Spiderman_."

Peter let out a nervous chuckle and nodded as Stephen continued on.

"For years, I saved countless lives and let my pride in my skill get to my head. My intentions went from wanting to help people and save lives to just being someone who thought he had the power to control and master death. Then I got in a car accident and lost the ability to use these."

He showed Peter his sill damaged and shaking hands, and the boy gave him an apologetic look.

"At that moment, my ability and my life's work were gone. I couldn't save lives like I used to and I was no longer the master of death. I gave up practically everything to find a way to gain that back. And I mean _everything_. But in the end it was to no avail. That's when I learned about Kamar Taj and the teachings of the Ancient One. Which lead me to travel all the way to Kathmandu, and that's where I discovered the power of the Mystic Arts and the endless possibilities it presented. I initially only learned as a way to heal my hands and return to my life's work, but I realized there was so much more to the Master of the Mystic Arts then just fulfilling their own needs. Then I lost my mentor, and I had finally gotten the reality check I desperately needed: I can't always save everyone no matter how hard I try and that there's more to life than fulfilling my own self-interests. In the end, I had a choice. Either return to my old life deluding myself into thinking I had the power to control death or put all of that behind and become a true defender of life. I chose the later, and ended up saving the world countless times."

Peter merely stared at the man, fascinated by the man's story. Though it didn't do much to quell his pain.

"That feeling of not being able to save someone or knowing that you can't prevent a death has plagued me for years. Both before and after I became a doctor. It's a hard part of life that you just have to accept."

At that, Peter turned away from the wizard.

"I know that," he stated solemnly.

Stephen sighed before continuing on.

"I did foresee Tony's death in the future outcome, and I knew he'd be the key to saving us all in the end. It was a necessary sacrifice, even if it wasn't one that I approved of. But in regards to your question: would I have prevented Tony's death if I had the power? The answer is _yes_ I would."

Peter's head shot back up and he stared at the man completely stunned, heart beating a little faster.

"You're right in that I didn't know the man very well. At least not outside of his media/celebrity appearance. But when I first met him and did get to know him for that brief time, it was sort of like looking at a mirror of myself. At what I once was and what I strive to be. A man with a thick ass skull and an overly inflated ego to match. Who went from being a self-centered, playboy billionaire to both earth and the rest of the galaxy's greatest defender. One of the most if not _the_ most stubborn and the bravest human being I had ever met. I'm glad I got to know him as a man. I just hate the fact that others won't be granted that opportunity."

Peter eyes grew sad again and he didn't even bother preventing the tears from falling down his face.

"I hate the fact that he's leaving behind so many of those who loved him." Peter said.

Stephen frowned. The pang of guilt and sorrow he felt earlier just increased ten fold. He still wasn't quite sure what the exact relationship between those two was, but it was pretty obvious that Tony was very fond of Peter. And vice versa. Strange recalled the interactions between the two heroes and how Tony often scolded and patronized the boy on the ship, but displayed a supportive and immensely protective side to him as well when it came to the young hero's skills and well being. He very much behaved in a, dare Stephen even say, fatherly manner. Hell, if he didn't already know that Tony Stark didn't have any children (at the time), he would have guessed that Peter was his son. (And the fact that Stephen speculated Peter being Tony's ward instead was still saying something). Regardless, it was still fairly obvious that the two had a very strong bond.

"I know," Stephen agreed, as he began rubbing Peter's back in soothing circles.

And the next thing Stephen knew, he found himself sliding his fingers underneath Peter's chin and tilting his head up so that he would look at the man before him.

"When Tony made his way back to Earth, he put away his suit and affiliations with the team in order to start a new life with his family. He almost didn't even join the team in their time travel mission to retrieve the stones and bring everyone else back because he feared that he would lose all that he had left. Do you know what prompted him to change his mind?"

Peter just gave Strange a questioning look and the man smirked.

"It was _you_, Peter. Out of all those deaths, yours was the one that devastated him the most. He carried that burden of being unable to save you for all those years. And when a chance arose to bring all those that had fallen back, including you, he put aside his fears and got to work. Don't you see, Peter. Tony would have happily died knowing that those he loved were alive and safe. That includes his family and his friends. Which includes you."

Peter just stood there completely flabbergasted. A whirlwind of emotions just him square in the chest, tears were falling much more freely now.

"I…...I don't know what to say…" he choked out barely able to keep his emotions in check.

Stephen gave him another piteous look and, without even thinking, padded his thumb across the corner of Peter's eyes and wiped his tears away.

"You don't have to say anything if you don't want to," the man replied with a sincerity that he didn't even think he was capable of.

"Thank you! Thank you so so much!" Peter said anyway, smiling as hard as he could after crying. "You don't know how much I needed to hear that."

Stephen smiled as the young boy beamed at him. While he already knew little about Tony personally, he knew even less about Peter Parker. He had heard about the friendly neighborhood Spiderman of New York from several media sources. Even witnessed him swinging by the Sanctum once. What he didn't know was that this crime fighting spider was actually a teenage boy, not even out of high school yet. And had been thrust into this world of intergalactic war for power and mass genocide, despite obviously being far too young and immature. Despite his youth and inexperience he still showed a strong fighting spirit as well as an immense determination to do what's right. As for Peter himself, he was a really nice kid. A bit of a chatterbox and way to obsessed with pop culture. But Stephen could tell that he was very bright for his age and while he still had much to learn, he'd proven to be very adept when it came to difficult situations.

He could see why Tony had become so attached to the boy.

"You are very welcome," Stephen responded in kind.

"And I'm really sorry for going off on you like that before," Peter apologized. "It wasn't fair to you!"

"You had every right to be upset, Peter." Stephen reassured him. "I don't blame you for taking your frustrations out on me. I would have probably done the same thing if I were you."

Peter just scoffed playfully, as he wiped rubbed his eyes.

"I thought you'd be way too sophisticated for such irrational emotional outbursts such as this."

Stephen laughed softly as he placed a hand on Peter's shoulder.

"My dear boy, there's still so much you have yet to learn about Dr. Stephen Strange, Master of the Mystic Arts."

The two made their way back to the cabin where Wong awaited them.

Peter gave a quick bow to the second wizard, who returned in kind. He then proceeded to open a portal to the Sanctum, signalling to Strange that it was time to leave.

"Well Peter Parker, it's been an honor but I must take my leave." Stephen said with a small salute.

"Wait, will I ever see you around?" Peter asked innocently, only to realize how childish he sounded. "I mean if it's not a problem for you. Or your not to busy."

Stephen merely smirked at the bemused boy before replying.

"Check your pocket!"

Peter's hands fumbled in both his coat pockets and he found a card, that he was certain wasn't there a second ago, that read _177A Bleecker Street, New York City, New York._

'_Wait he lived in New York?'_ Peter thought to himself.

"You're more than welcome to come by if you need anything, Peter." he told the boy warmly.

Peter just nodded and offered his hand to Strange, who graciously accepted it.

"See ya around, Spiderman!" After giving the young hero a wink, he exited the portal alongside Wong and vanished.

Peter found himself smiling in the end. He felt alot better after speaking with the wizard, though his heart still ached. But he knew that he'd never truly be able to get rid of the pain over losing Tony. He could only honor and respect his memory in the end, while still striving to be the hero Tony always wanted him to be.

He spotted May still chatting up with Happy and made his way over to her. But not before quickly offering his condolences to Pepper and little Morgan first. Making a promise to them that he'd always be there if they needed him.

* * *

Honestly I would have loved to have seen some more scenes with Peter and Stephen in the films. I think they would have played off each other so well. And tbh, I kinda like the idea of Strange being something a secondary mentor to Peter without him replacing Tony.

Anyway, whatever your thoughts comment below and let me know! (Pretty please)


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